Chinese word

之外

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhī wài

Meaning

  • nounother than

Example

除了你之外，我没有别的选择。chú le nǐ zhī wài wǒ méi yǒu bié de xuǎn zé

Other than you, I have no other choice.

Illustration for 之外 (other than)

More examples

这个结果完全在我们的预料之外。zhè ge jié guǒ wán quán zài wǒ men de yù liào zhī wài

This result was completely beyond our expectations.

Core concept

A boundary marker that places something beyond a stated person, group, place, or range.

Common phrases

  • 除了...之外chú le zhī wài

    other than ___

  • 预料之外yù liào zhī wài

    beyond expectations

  • 想象之外xiǎng xiàng zhī wài

    beyond imagination

Similar words

以外yǐ wài: All of a group or range except a stated person, thing, or condition.
除外chú wài: The exclusion of a particular person or thing from a group or range.

Definition in Chinese

用于表示某一参照范围或对象之外的事物或情况，常置于名词或短语之后表示排除或分界。yòng yú biǎo shì mǒu yì cān zhào fàn wéi huò duì xiàng zhī wài de shì wù huò qíng kuàng cháng zhì yú míng cí huò duán yǔ zhī hòu biǎo shì pái chú huò fēn jiè

Word origin

之 (zhī, "of it") + 外 (wài, "outside") builds the image of what lies outside the reference just mentioned.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, the ending is often omitted after an exclusion phrase, so the boundary meaning may be heard even when this word is absent.

Other meanings

  • besidesadverb
  • outsidenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word